The Value(s) of Civil Leaders

The importance of civil leaders can hardly be overestimated. They contribute to a better society, mobilize people and resources for good causes, and focus attention on urgent problems. Civil leaders work outside government and are personally motivated, thereby exercising public leadership. They come from the ranks of philanthropists, celebrities, and volunteers, but may also be directors of non-profit and public organizations or business entrepreneurs. This book examines how various Dutch civil leaders are influenced by their value patterns - both personally and in their societal work. It also investigates to what extent their values and leadership styles are determined by for-profit, non-profit, and informal institutional contexts. The concepts of 'values,' 'leadership,' 'governance,' and 'public value' are studied both theoretically and in a comparative case study of 30 Dutch civil leaders, as well as in a comparative survey. The inspirational portraits and stories of these different civil leaders show how the common value patterns in different contexts are characterized by a unique combination of societal and entrepreneurial values, making them indeed a breed of their own. [Subject: Public Administration, Civil Service]